EBRI's annual health confidence survey also found that while nearly 40 percent of Americans rate the healthcare system as good to excellent, about 30 percent consider it to be poor, a number that has increased steadily in recent years.
''One reason for the declining rating of the healthcare system is that Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with healthcare costs," the study found.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said the dollar amount they contribute toward their health insurance premium has increased in the past year, while about half say the amount they pay for prescription drugs and doctor visits has risen. In addition, more than four in 10 said their health insurance deductible -- out-of-pocket spending before insurance kicks in -- has risen in the past year.
To cover increasing health costs, nearly half of those surveyed said they cut contributions to savings accounts, while a quarter cut their contributions to 401(k) and other retirement accounts, the survey found. Some families, especially those with annual incomes of $35,000 or less, also reported difficulty paying for basic necessities, such as food and heat, and covering nonhealth bills.
''Americans are coping with the rising cost of healthcare in a variety of ways, but it is clear that rising health costs are causing financial pain among many, and are leading to a reduction in savings in general and retirement savings in particular," said EBRI chief executive Dallas Salisbury.
That has led to a decline in the number of Americans saying they are extremely confident in their ability to pay for healthcare and an increase in those saying they're not confident at all.
The phone survey of more than 1,400 people was conducted in late June and early July by Mathew Greenwald & Associates Inc. of Washington. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
